Emanuele Torquati - Roussel: Promenade sentimentale, Complete Piano Music (2013)

Tracklist

CD1
01. Des heures passent, Op. 1: I. Graves, légères
02. Des heures passent, Op. 1: II. Joyeuses
03. Des heures passent, Op. 1: III. Tragiques
04. Des heures passent, Op. 1: IV. Champêtres
05. Résurrection, Op. 4: Symphonic Prelude (Arr. Albert Roussel)
06. Rustiques, Op. 5: I. Danse au bord de l'eau
07. Rustiques, Op. 5: II. Promenade sentimentale en forêt
08. Rustiques, Op. 5: III. Retour de fête
09. Petit canon perpétuel
10. Doute
11. Conte à la poupée
12. L'accueil des muses, pour le tombeau de Claude Debussy

CD2
13. Suite in F-Sharp Major, Op. 14: I. Prélude
14. Suite in F-Sharp Major, Op. 14: II. Sicilienne
15. Suite in F-Sharp Major, Op. 14: III. Bourrée
16. Suite in F-Sharp Major, Op. 14: IV. Ronde
17. Sonatine, Op. 16: I. Modéré - Vif et très léger
18. Sonatine, Op. 16: II. Très lent - Modéré - Très animé
19. Le festin de l'araignée, Op. 17: Waltz
20. Segovía for Piano, Op. 29
21. Prélude et Fugue, Op. 46
22. Trois pièces, Op. 49: I. Allegro con brio
23. Trois pièces, Op. 49: II. Allegro grazioso, Tempo di waltz
24. Trois pièces, Op. 49: III. Allegro con spirito - Andante



The French composer Albert Roussel (1869–1937) was ideally placed to develop a unique musical style. His background was more colourful than most of his fellow composers (he initially studied mathematics and worked as a naval officer before devoting himself to music), while his early years as a composer saw him exposed to a barrage of rich but conflicting musical influences: the impressionist movement (spearheaded by Debussy) and the more traditional approach of the Schola Cantorum (championed by d’Indy and Franck).

Roussel absorbed the wide-ranging styles that he heard around him, blending and modifying them to establish his own distinctive voice – a voice that can be perceived clearly in his music for solo piano. Traditional musical forms are a frequent point of inspiration: in the Suite in F sharp Op.14, Roussel uses rustic dances as a basis to explore both counterpoint and tonal disintegration, while the Bach-inspired Prélude et Fugue demonstrates the neo-Classical style that he was drawn to in his later period.

Above all, Roussel’s piano music is characterised by its unique synthesis of rationality and feeling. This approach – exploring tradition while pushing boundaries – is captured expertly by the award-winning pianist Emanuele Torquati; his subtle yet vital performances make this two-disc set a must-have for any enthusiasts of French music.

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